Method of knot tying



y 1953 J. c. LEARY METHOD OF KNOT TYING Filed July 15, 1952 v INVENTOP) Jose h C, Lear-J I 1w W m Patented Jul 21,1953

images UNITED STATES FATENT OFFICE Y 2,646,298 7 I I 'METHO'D OFIKNOTVTYINGV Joseph C. Leary, Greenfield, Ind. Application July 15, 1952, Serial No. 298,935

This invention relates to a'kno't to be formed by tying together into secure engagement a pair of ends of cord, twine, or'wire. To avoid confusion,

"the term cord will be used hereinafter to includetwine, rope, or wire'either of a single strand, or in cable, stranded nature.

A primary purpose of the invention is to provide an exceedingly durable, secure, non-slipping 'knot which will be as strong or stronger than the cord itself, and also wherein the minimum amount of cord will be employed in forming the knot. 1

' A furtherimp'ortant object of the invention is toprovide' a knot w'hich'may be tied quite readily v both by hand and mechanically.

One particular use of the invention will be found in tying the twine or cord about bales of hay or straw in the usual and well known mechanical baler. limited to such an application.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent'to those versed inthe'art in the following description of one particular form of knot, as illustrated in the accompanying draw- I Fig. 5 is a view of the knot after the cords,

have been pulled to compact the knot.

A pair of end lengths l0 and H of the cord to be tied are brought up into parallel relationship, Fig. 1, and the distal end portions 12 and I3 are preferably but not necessarily inclined upwardly. A twisting tool, of any particular construction which will be employed either in the mechanical knot tying operation or by hand, herein shown as comprising a cylindrical rod 14, is brought between the two cord lengths l0 and H spaced substantially centrally of the two upturned end portions l2, and I3. The rod 14 is revolved in a relatively vertical plane as viewed in Fig. 1, while the distal end portions are held, for instance, at the points of inclination illus- However, the invention is not 6 Claims; (01. 289-'-,-1. 5)

trated, to wind or twist one cord length In about the other cord length l l between those outturned end portions 12 and I3, three complete revolutions of the tool 14 being made to bring the twisted portions of the cords to and H into that condition as indicated in Fig. 2. While the tool l4 has above been indicated as being turned in a relatively vertical plane, it" is intended by that expression to indicate that the tool I4 is turned in a plane substantially normal to the cord length l0 and II.

Referring to Fig. 2, after the two end lengths l0 and II have'been twisted together by three complete revolutions of the too1'l4, the distal end portions 12 and I 3 are then inclined from the outer ends of the twisted zones to be inclined one toward the other over that twisted length. With the end portions '12 and'l3 thus maintained, by hand or by anysuitable mechanical means, the tool I4 is .againrevolved inthe same direction until the tool I 4 has again made three complete revolutions, whereupon the extremities of the end portions 12 and I3 will have approached "one another closely adjacent the sides of the tool 14 as indicated in Fig. 3. V

' Following those .two twisting, steps, the ex'- tre'mities of the-end portions. 12 and i3 are pulled throughjthe opening between the cord lengths "wand I lformed by the tool l l,this opening being designated by the numeral 'I 5. The tool I4 is provided with a hook 1'6 under which the end portions l2 and l3 may be engaged to pull those extremities down through the opening 15 so that those extremities are pulled therethrough simul taneously with the withdrawal of the tool Hi to bring the knot into that form as shown in Fig. 4.

The knot is completed by applying tension to the cords I0 and Il,-tending to pull one away from the other on each side of the knot so that the knot eventually forms theshape as indicated in Fig. 5. As the knot is thus compacted, the various turns through the twisted zone of the two cords will travel longitudinally and the turns will approach the two end portions 12 and 13 to grip them compressively therebetween centrally between the turns appearing on each side of the previously formed opening 15. These turns come into'very snug, frictional engagement one with the other, and the outside turns over the inside turns so that the end result is that the knot itself forms a structure which has greater tensile strength than does either of the cords l0 and II.

'It is to be stressed that the twisting of the cord portions is. always in the same direction, including the initial three turns of the twisting device and. the final three turns of that device. Additional turns can be made in the twisting operations, but it is discovered that such additional turns only use up more twine without adding any- 3 thing to the tensile strength of the knot itself. On the other hand, to use less than the three complete turns in each of the twisting operations reduces the tensile strength of the knot.

While I have herein shown and described my invention in the best form as now known to me, it is obvious that difierent methods may be employed to efiect the two twisting step operations without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I therefore do not desire to be limited to that precise method beyond the limitations which may be imposed by the following claims.

I claim:

1. That method of tying together a pair of cord end lengths which comprises the steps of bringing the end lengths one along the other to have oppositely disposed end portions spaced at distance apart along said lengths; holding said end portions; engaging said lengths in a zone approximately centrally between said end portions and twisting said lengths in one direction together from said zone; bringing the end portions over said twisted lengths, each end portion toward said zone; twisting said lengths from said zone in the same direction as said one direction to wrap lengths of said end portions around the initially twisted lengths; and inserting the remaining ends of said end portions between said cord lengths at said zone.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the twisting of both said lengths and of said end portions thereover is carried through three revolutions.

3. A method of tying together a pair of cord ends comprising the steps of arranging end lengths of said cords in overlapping, substantially parallel juxtaposition, holding the distal portions of said cords stationary relative to said cord lengths, inserting the end of a rod between said cord lengths substantially midway between said distal portions, rotating the rod end-for-end in a plane substantially normal to the axes of said cord lengths to form a series of twists in said cord lengths on each side of said plane, bringing the distal portions of said cords to positions near said rod and holding them stationary relative to the cord lengths, again rotating said rod end-for.-

end in the same direction as first rotated to form a series of wraps about the series of twists first formed, removing said rod from between said cord lengths, and thereafter inserting the extremities of said distal portions of said cords between the cord lengths at the point from which said rod was removed.

4. The method of claim 3 including the step of turning the distal end portions of each cord length in a common direction out of parallelism with said cord lengths prior to twisting said cord lengths,

5. A method of tying together a pair of cord ends comprising the steps of arranging end parallel juxtaposition, holding the distal portions of said cords stationary relative to said cord lengths, inserting the end of a rod between said cord lengths substantially midway between said distal portions, rotating the rod end-ior-end in a plane substantially normal to the axes of said cord lengths to form a series of twists in said cord lengths on each side of said plane, bringing the distal portions of said cords to positions near said rod and holding them stationary relative to the cord lengths, again rotating said rod end-forend in the same direction as first rotated to form a series of wraps about the series of twists first formed, afiixing the extremities of said distal portions of said cords toan end of said rod, axially withdrawing said rod from between said cord lengths thereby pulling said distal portions between saidcord lengths, and thereafter releasing said distal portions from said rod end.

6. The method of claim 5 including the step of turning the distal end portions of each cord length in a common direction out of parallelism with said cord lengths prior to twisting said cord lengths.

JOSEPH C. LEARY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,469,037 Harvey May 3, 1949 

